Communing with the Animals

There are several farms near where I live, complete with idyllic-looking barns and green fields in which animals graze. When I go running, I will often run past grazing cattle and horses. The fact that I think this is pretty cool must be my inner Manteca rearing it's head.

Last week, as I ran past one of these farms, I saw something strange out of the corner of my eye. Something running toward me. I stopped and looked. It was a llama. Running up to the fence, presumably to greet me. The funny thing is that I was across the street from it. It saw me running from across the street and decided to run too (am I really this inspiring?). When it got to the fence, it stood there and stared at me. I figured it was a come-hither stare, so I crossed the street and went to the fence. Of course, I was hoping it would let me pet it. But when I got close, it got shy. It turned its head away and backed away from the fence, even as it was still staring at me. I guess the llama didn't know what to do once it got my attention.

So I continued my run, with plans to offer it a snack next time. Because offering food to strange animals is what I do.